Process for treating coal



J. N. WINGE'H.

PROCESS FOR TREATENG COAL.

APPLICAHON FILED MAY 3. I915 Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

2 SHEEIS SHkE] J. N. WINGETT.

PROCESS FUR TREATING COAL.

APPLECATION FILED MAY 3,1915.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- J'OHIF N. WIN'GETT, OF

DENVER, COLORADO, ASBIGNOR TO WARREN A. HAGGO'l'T, TRUSTEE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PROCESS FOR TREATING COAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

' Appliuationflled May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,636.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN N. W mean", a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Treat ing Coal; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the amzompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a process and up pal'atus for treating coal, my object being to harden ordinary coal to such an extent that it may be handled without the production of dust or slack, my further object being to extract from the coal certain valuable byproducts, while carrying out the aforesaid coal-hardening process.

Generally speaking, the process consists in subjecting the coal while in a closed chamber, to a relatively high degree of heat, the products of combustion being exterior to the chamber throu h which the coal is constantly moving. "The apparatus employed consists of a screw conveyor having an inlet for the coal to be treated and an outlct for the treated or hardened product, provision being made for drawing off the byproducts in the form of vapor or gases at one extremity of the conveyor, whence these byproducts are removed through the medium of suitable conduits, to one or more condensers.

In the preferred form of construction, the conveyer is inclined at an angle of about forty-five degreesand includes a cylindrical conduit, through the center of which a shaft is passed, said shaft carrying a spiral blade or thread which fits closely within the cylinder. This shaft projects beyond the cylindrical chamber and passes through stuffing boxes, whereby the chamber is sealed at both ends. Provision is made for introducing the coal to be treated at the upper extremity of the sealed chamber and removing it at the lower extremit In each case,

a duplex structure is emp oyed. For in stance, for feeding the coal to be treated, the latter is tttken from two tanks which are respectively equipped at their lower extremities with exit pipes provided with cutoff valves. These two pipes form a junction at a common inlet in communication with the cylindrical chamber of the screw conveyor. The coal under treatment is alternately fed from the two receptacles in order to maintain a continuous operation. For instance, as soon as the coal from one tank oi; receptacle is exhausted, the cut-off valve at the exit to this receptacle, is closed, thus sealing the receptacle from the charm her of the screw conveyor, while the upper extremity of this tank or receptacle is open to the atmosphere for filling purposes. In the meantime, the outlet of the other tank or receptacle is open. this receptacle being sealed at the top.

At the lower extremity of the chamber of the screw conveyer, the treated coal is re moved through a duplex exit terminating in branches, each equipped with a cut-oil valve and adapted to have a sealed connection with a car delivering the discharge of coal thereinto. After the one car is filled, the outlet employed is closed by a cut-off valve and the filled car is removed. Another car then brought into place and con nected in sealed relation with the other outlet. after which the valve in the second outlet branch opened, and the operation proceeds. The second car may be brought into position during the filling of the first car, if (.lPSlI'BtL'SO that the discharge of coal from the conveyor may be uniform and continuous.

\Vhile the coal is passing through the conduit of the screw conveyor, which conduit is sealed from the atmosphere, making it practicable to maintain a partial vacuum therein, the coal is subjected to heat through the medium of a suitable furnace through which'the conduit passes, the heat being delivered to the exterior surface of the conduit whereby the products of combustion are prevented from coming in direct contact with the coal.

During the carrying out of this process, it is practicable to remove from the coal within a comparatively short time, valuable byproducts in the form of vapor and gases, which otherwise would be graduall lost during'the exposure ofthe coal to t e atmosphere wider ordinary condition.

For ingtancmcoal from the time it is re moved from the mine until it is used for fuel purposes under ordinary conditions, is continuously exposed to the atmosphere and by reason of such ex )osure, valuable byproducts are given 0 or escape, thus removing from the fuel during a comparatively slow process, the elements which I am able to remove quickly. Furthermore, during the removal of these elements or byproducts by my process, the coal is hardened to such a de ree that there is no further loss when it 18 ex used to the atmosphere. In other words, t e surface of the coal 15 made so dense that it is practically sealed against the escape of gases or vapors under ordinary conditions. Again, the byprodnote which are readily given off, though slowly, under ordinary conditions, having been removed by the practice of my improved process, there can be no further appreciable loss in view of the hardened condition of the treated product.

Having briefly outlined my improvement, I will roceed to describe the same in detail, re erence being made to the accompany ing drawing, in which is illustrated an em bodiment thereof. In this drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through a suitable apparatus for carrying out my process.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, shown on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33, Fig. 1, cutting the fire box of the furnace employed in generating the heat required in the process, shown on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4,

Fi 1, also shown on a larger scale.

he same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a furnace havin a combustion chamber 6 inelosed by walls l' through which a screw conveyer 8 passes. This conveyer as illustrated in the drawing, includes a cylindrical conduit 9 which is covered or walled-in, above the furnace as shown at 10, this upper wall or cover being continuous with the furnace wall proper (see Fig. 3). The conduit 9 extends both above and below the furnace. Within the conduit is located a shaft which passes longitudinally and centrally there through, its upper and lower extremities passing through stuffing boxes 12 and 1-3 which are connected with the heads 14 and. 1-5, respectively, of the conduit. This shaft, which is designated by the numeral 16, 1s hollow and water is passed therethrough, being supplied by a pipe 17 connected with the lower extremity of the shaft, the escape being throu h an exit pipe 11 connected with the ho ow shaft at the top. Within the conduit 8 the shaft 16 is inclosed b a perforated casing 18 which is conne cte at its upper 'and lower extremities with the hollow shaft by means of couplin 19 and 20. Surrounding this casing within the conduit,.is a spirally arranged blade or flange 21 constitutin the screw thread of theponveyer. This ange while shown can tinuous, may be interrupted. .In other words any suitable construction of blades or iii hts whether continuous or interrupted, may e employed for passing the coal downwardl I from 'the inlet 22 to the outlet 23 of th conduit. The conduit is preferably at such an inclination that very little power is r uired in order to move the coal downwar y'through the conduit from the inlet to the outlet. As shown in the drawing, the screw thread or spiral flange of the conveyer is connected with the perforated casing 18 by means of radially arranged spacing members 24.

The furnace may be supplied with the necessary fuel from a conduit 25 which may carry either gas, crude oil or other suitable fuel which is carried upwardly through branch pipes 26 to the burners 27 which are fitted into bottom openings 28 formed in the wall of the furnace, each branch pipe 26 being equipped with a controlling valve 29. The roducts of combustion escape from the urnace through an opening 30, with which a stack 31 may be connected.

lVhen the apparatus is in operation, the shaft 16, together with the perforated casing 18 and the screw thread 21, is rotated through the medium of a gear32 made fast on the lower extremity of the hollow shaft and meshin with a pinion 33 fast on an operating shal t 34 which is also equi )ped with a power pulley 35. The shaft an its screw thread are rotated in a direction to cause the coal 36 within the stationary conduit, to travel downwardly therethrough from the inlet 22 to the outlet 23.

As illustrated in the drawing, the coal to be treated is fed to the inlet 22 from two tanks or receptacles 37, which are rovi with inlet openings 38 at the top at apted to be closed by screw plugs 39. These recepta-' cles are provided at their lower ends with outlet openings 40 which are in register with openings 41 in collars42, which are secured to flanges 43 at the bottom of the receptacles by cap screws 44. Connected with these collars are cut-oil valves 45 which are controlled exteriorly by hand operated stems -16. The lower extremity of each; collar is connected by means of cap screws 47 with a branch pipe 48. These two pipes 48 merge at 49, their junction being equipped with a flange 50 which is connected by means of cap screws 51with a common inlet-collar 52 which is secured at its lower extremity to the conduit 8 by means of cap screws or bolts 53.

Whenthe apparatus is in use, the coal 36 to be treated is, fed alternately from the two receptacles 37. As shown in the drawing (see Fig. 4) the coal is passing from the receptacle at the left, into the conduit 8. In this case, the valve of the collar 42 of the left-hand rece tacle is open, whiie the corresponding valve of the-other receptacle is closed, thus sealing the right-hand receptacle, which is empty, from the conduit and preventing the entrance of air throu h the empty tank, the latter being open at it, top for the purpose of resupplying it with coal, while the conduit is being supplied by the left-hand receptacle. It will be understood from the drawings (see Fig. 4) that while the coal is passing to the conduit 8 from either receptacle, that the opening 38 of that receptacle is closed by its screw plug 39, in order to prevent the access of'air to the conduit of the conveyer, through the receptacle, which is supplying the coal for treatment.

In this way, it becomes practicable to con-- stantly feed. the coal to the conduit of the screw conveyor. and at the same time, maintain a sealed relation between the conduit of the conveyor and the receptacle for supply ing such coal.

he outlet 23 at the lower extremity of the conduit is bifurcated and consists of two branches 5% to which are respectively secured collars 55 to whose lower extremities are attached additional collar members 56, whose lower surfaces 57 are ground to form tight joints with abutting surfaces 58 of the cars 59, in order that the discharge branches of the screw conveyer conduit may be hermetically sealed against the entrance of air at the joint formed between these conduits and the car or receptacle into which thetreated coal is delivered.

As illustrated in the drawing, the bodies 60 of these cars have a limited degree of vertical movement, whereby, through the instrumentality of a lever 61, toggies G2 and a connecting rod 63, the car body may be raised sufliciently to form an air tight joint between the ground surfaces 57 and 58 of the discharge branches and the car body 60. During the filling of any car, this sealed condition is perfect. After the car has been filled, a valve 64: located in each coilar 55, is closed, after which, by the proper manipulation of the lever 61, the car body is lowered, whereby the latter is disconnected from the branch discharge pipe. In the meantime, another car is connected in sealed relation with the other discharge branch, hence, as soon the one valve 55 is closed,

the other may be opened, thus making the discharge from the conduit of the conveyer continuous. By virtue of this construction and arrangement, the (.lelivcry of the coal to the conveyer and the removal of the treated product therefrom, ma be uniform and continuous, the supply am discharge being con sistently regulated for the purpose. p I

In order to prevent friction so far as is possible between the shaft of the screw c0nveyer and the gear 32 at the lower extremity of the shaft, hearing balls 65 are located between the lower surface of the gear and a bearing plate 66 forming a part of an angle bracket 67 mounted at the lower extremity of the conveyor.

During the )ractice of the process through the medium 0 the apparatus heretofore de scribed, the gases and vapors which are separated from the coal within'the conduit 8 of the conveyor, are carried off through an outlet G8 which is connected with a conduit 69, which in turn is in communication with a condenser TO, by means of a conduit 71.

From the foregoing explanation, the mannor of carrying out or practising my process as well as the operation of suitable apparatus employed in connection therewith, will be readily understood. Assuming that the furnace is properly heated, the coal is fed into the conduit 8 of the screw conveyor, the screw shaft of said conveyor being rotated in a direction to cause the coal 36 to move dowmvardly from the inlet to the discharge extremity. The coal is alternately fed into the conduit 8 from two receptacles, the receptacle which is furnishing'the supply at a particular time bein sealedi'rom the atmos phere at the top. lifter one receptacle has been exhausted, its valve which controls the outlet, is closed, and the valve controlling the outlet of the other receptacle. is opened. The first or empt receptacle is then opened at the top for lling purposes, while the second receptacle, or that from which the coal is passing, is closed at the top.

The discharge of the treated coal from the lower portion of the conduit 8 takes place alternately through two outlet branches having valve-controlled passages. The coal is discharged into cars, the car receiving the discharge at any particular time having a sealed connection with the outlet branch which is in use.

As the coal is passing throu h the con duit 8, certain byproducts in tile form of vapor and gases are separated therefrom under the influence of the heat, passing through a perforated disk 72 located in the upper extremity of the conduit above the coal inlet and passing thence through the outlet 68 to a conduit 69 and thence through a branch conduit 71 to a condenser 70. While only one condenser is illustrated in the drawing, it is evident that any desired number may be employed and that the byproducts may be separated into different grades as may be deemed necessary.

While certain byproducts are removed as just explained during the coal hardening operation, these are only such as are quickly and readily given off under the influence the coal in its ordinary form is exposed to the atmosphere." However, certain of the heavier oils contained in the coal are caused to approach the surface of the latter and fill the pores. These heavier products which would be removed were the degree of heat sufficiently high, are maintained in the coat but caused to approach and reach the surface, after which they are dried during the process and produce upon the coal a hard smooth surface, the degree of heat and the conditions not being such as to produce coke. 'lhe temperature employed is about 800, but this may vary according to conditions, such as the size of the coal.

By virtue of this process, the coal is rendered hard, dustless and nonslackable. F urthermore, it still retains all of its normal fuel properties, since only such products or byproducts are eliminated as would he lost during the indefinite exposure to the atmosphere to which the coal in its normal condition and under ordinary circumstances, is subjected prior to its actual consumption as fuel. The heating brings about the re moval of the lighter products in much the same way as they are removed on exposure to the air, that is by oxidation and evaporation. During the treatment, all the moisture of the coal, is, of course, expelled, leaving a perfectly dry product.

Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim is,-

1. The herein described process of hardening coal preparatory to shipment to the market or storage, which comprises passing the coal through a closed chamber and subjecting the coal to heat therein, the degree of heat being sufficient to drive ofi' certain of the volatile constituents only adjacent the surface, the heavier oils being caused to move to the surface and dried, givingthe coal :1 hard exterior which ppotects it against ex osure to the atmosphere and prevents the ormation of dust and slack,

2. The herein described process of hard ening coal preparatory to shipment to the market or storage, which comprises subjecting the coal to heat sufiiciently high to drive ofi the lighter constituents only, the heavier constituents being caused to approach and reach the surface and dried, giving the coal a hard exterior which rotects it against exposure to the atmosp ere and prevents the formation of dust and slack.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I JOHN N. WINGETT. Witnesses:

ZE KIBBY, A. EBERT OBRIEN, 

